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Jay-Z Delivers Stunning Attack on Grammys for Wife Beyonce Never Winning Album of the Year
Jay-Z delivered a shocking attack on the Grammys while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 ceremony, noting how wife Beyoncé has never won Album of the Year despite multiple nominations in the category while having the most overall wins of any artist.
“Obviously, it’s subjective because, you know, it’s music and its opinion based. But you know, some things, you know, I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year,” Jay said during the Sunday, February 4, broadcast, as the camera cut away to show Bey in the audience.
“So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won album of the year. It doesn’t work,” he mused.
Jay also accused the recording academy of allowing some music to compete in categories he felt they shouldn’t.
“Some of you are going to go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed. Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category. All right. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, that was it, no. When I get nervous, I tell the truth,” the music titan said with a laugh.
Jay was on stage with the couple’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, 12, looking on as he made his statements.
Beyoncé has been nominated for Album of the Year four times since 2010, and has come up empty every time, despite having won 32 Grammys throughout her career.
Her first loss came when I Am … Sasha Fierce was upset by Taylor Swift’s Fearless, the first of a record four Album of the Year wins the “Anti-Hero” artist has taken home.
Beyoncé lost again in In 2015, when her self-titled album lost out to Beck’s Morning Phase. Many fans were sure 2017 would finally be the “Halo” singer’s year, with her critical and commercial smash Lemonade in the Album of the Year contest, but ultimately lost to Adele‘s 25.
While accepting her trophy, the “Hello” singer said the award should have gone to Beyoncé instead.
“I can’t possibly accept this award, and I’m very humbled and very grateful and gracious but my life is Beyoncé, and the album to me, the Lemonade album, Beyoncé, was so monumental, and so well thought out,” Adele said while looking into the audience at her idol.
The England native continued, “All us artists adore you. You are our light. And the way that you make me and my friends feel, the way you make my black friends feel is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves. And I love you. I always have. And I always will. I appreciate it.”
Beyonce’s most recent loss in the Album of the Year category came in 2023, when her Renaissance lost out to Harry Styles‘ Harry’s House.
On the same night Jay chastised the recording academy for his wife never winning Album of the Year, Taylor made history by becoming the first artist ever to win the category four times, taking home the night’s biggest award for Midnights.
Taylor said in her acceptance speech, “I want to say that this is the greatest moment of my life, but … I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love. Or when I’m shortlisting a music video or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers or my band. Or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show. For me the award is the work. All I wanna do is keep being able to do this … I love it so much, it makes me so happy.”
She continued, “It makes me unbelievably blown away that it makes some people happy who voted for this award too. All I wanna do is keep doing this. So, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do what I love so much. Mind blown, thank you so much.”
